diff --git a/internal/backend/rclone/internal_test.go b/internal/backend/rclone/internal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1705d9baf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/backend/rclone/internal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package rclone
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/restic"
+	rtest "github.com/restic/restic/internal/test"
+)
+
+// restic should detect rclone exiting.
+func TestRcloneExit(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, cleanup := rtest.TempDir(t)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	cfg := NewConfig()
+	cfg.Remote = dir
+	be, err := Open(cfg, nil)
+	rtest.OK(t, err)
+	defer be.Close()
+
+	err = be.cmd.Process.Kill()
+	rtest.OK(t, err)
+	t.Log("killed rclone")
+
+	_, err = be.Stat(context.TODO(), restic.Handle{
+		Name: "foo",
+		Type: restic.DataFile,
+	})
+	rtest.Assert(t, err != nil, "expected an error")
+}